The beautiful fall colors are soon to be upon us. The leaves will fall, frost will come, and we will be left with the hazards of autumn.
 
 As we work in these conditions keep in mind that there may be a hole, a ditch or a storm drain beneath your feet. Walk areas out with a probe stick if they look questionable. When positioning equipment in yards, road ways or right of ways always keep in mind that hidden hazards, can pop up at any time.
 
WALKING WORKING SURFACES – Slow down, smaller steps, hands out of pocket, look ahead.
– Falling leaves will hide trip & fall hazards such as depressions in the ground to step in and objects to trip/fall over.
– Frost – Makes all walking surfaces slick but especially grass, leaves and newly excavated dirt.
– Snow/Ice – Do we have snow/ice removal plan in place and communicated to all employees? Salt, broom, shovel by exits? Do affected employees have ice cleats?
– Getting in/out or on/off vehicles-maintain three-point contact until both feet are firmly on the ground.
 
DRIVING- Allow a little extra time so you are not rushing or frustrated when you encounter:
– School buses, tractors, combines, trucks hauling grain, construction zones. Maintain your space.
– Dew on the side mirrors and windows
– Driving when the sun is low in the sky
– Foggy mornings
– Deer along the road
– Frost on bridges, overpasses and ramps
 
This fall/winter season don’t be complacent, trigger on change & changing conditions.
-- Mark Kimbrough, Director of Safety